Stage-setting.



G. F. DE SORI A & J. F. CORRIGAN.

1 STAGE SETTING.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25, 1908.

915,631; Patented Mar. 16,1909;

4SHEETBSHEET 1.

W I Jrm/v, E ca F/R QAN, 11.11 m, bog/n ruswcmms PETERS cc, WASHINGTON,n. c.

G. F. DE SORIA 8: J. F.- GORRIGAN.

STAGE SETTING. APPLIOATION FILED MAY 25, 1908.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2 v Patented Mar-.16, 1909.

o/P/A AND c. F. DE SORVIA & J. F. GORRIGAN.

STAGE SETTING.

APPLICATION IILED MAY 25, 1908.

Patented Mar. 16, 1909.

7 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

THE NORRIS PETERS 6D,, WASHINGTON, a, c.

G. P. DE SORIA & (I. GORRIGAN.

STAGE SETTING.

APPLICATION IILBD Mn 25, 1908.

Patented Mair. 16, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

" -IIIIIIIIIIIIfll'lmuumm .rn: NORRIS PETERS ca, WASHINGTON, 0. c4

UNIED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. DE SORIA, OF NEW YORK, AND JOHN F. COBRIGAN, OF MAMARONEOK,NEW YORK.

STAGE-SETTING.

7 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 1c, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES F. DE SoniA and J OHN F. ConRIoAN, citizensof the United States, and residents, respectively, of New York, in thecounty of New York and State of New York, and Mamaroneck, in the countyof Nestchester and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Stage-Settings, of which the following is aspecification.

Our invention relates to stage settings or scenes, the particular objectbeing to provide an illusion by which a complete scene, including allthe performers and everything else which can be observed by theaudience, appears to become suddenly inverted or turned upside down,during a momentary interval while the lights are dimmed. With thisobject in view we provide scenery and means of a character adapted tosuddenly change its appearance and appear to be turned upside down,without in most cases actually changing its position at all. In additionto this there is provided mechanism whereby the performers are lifted upand supported head downward against an upper surface or ceiling which ismade to change its appearance at this time to represent a floor.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in thefeatures of construction and combination as hereinafter set forth andshown and finally particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a view of a characteristic scene embodyingthe principles of our invention in its normal state.

Fig. 2 is a view of the same after it has apparently become inverted.Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view. Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional viewsshowing the mechanism for lifting and reversing the performers. Fig. 6is a section of the same on the line AB of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 shows a detailof the same. Fig. 8 shows the mechanism by which the change in theappearance of the ceiling is effected. Fig. 9 shows the construction ofone of the trap doors employed. Fig. 10 is a sectional view showing theconstruction of the side wings. Fig. 1 1 is a perspective View showingthe construction of the floor cloth. Fig. 12 is a side view showing theway any heavy objects orproperties are controlled. Fig. 13 illustrates aslight modification of the structure shown in Fig. 8.

Referring to the drawing in which like parts are designated by thesamereference ticularly illustrated in Fig. 10.

. door 2, constructed as shown in Fig. 9.

sign, 1 designates the floor or stage of a theater. This stage is of theusual construction having a trap door 2 at the center, preferably of thetype known as a vampire trap as later described. I

The scene taken to illustrate the principles of the invention is aninterior or room, but it will be evidentthat the invention is not lim.-ited to any particular character of scene.

3 denotes vertical posts or columns which preferably extend in a doubleseriesthroughout the length of the room. These posts contain themechanism for raising and reversing the performers.

4 denotes side wings, 5 a back drop, and 6 the ceiling for the scene.There may also be provided a'staircase or balcony or similar object 7for ornament, or preferably'for actual use in the performance.

8 designates a floor cloth or rug, and 9 a similar area on the ceilingwhich normally constitutes a fresco about the chandelier 10.

The construction of the side wings 4 is par- There is a main sheet orsurface 11 and a supplemental sheet or flap 12, hinged or flexiblyattached to the middle of the main sheet at 13. Under normal conditionsthe su plemental sheet or flap is folded up against the top part of themain sheet in which relation it is held by a hook 14. The hook 14 can bereleased by a cord 15, whereupon the'flap drops forwardly as shown bythe dotted lines until it rests against the lower half of the mainsheet. This causes an entirely new surface to be presented throughoutthe area of these side wings, and which may be painted to depict acomplete inversion of the normal scene, as shown for example in Figs. 1and 2. The back drop 5 is constructed in all respects similar to theside wings. The floor cloth 8 is also constructed upon this principle asshown in Fig. 11. There is a flap 16 hinged to the middle of the floorcloth and which is capable of being thrown from one side to the other soas to expose a complete new surface. One surface depicts a rug and theother the fresco of a ceiling. At its center this floor cloth isentirely cut away toexpose the trap Two leaves or doors .18 aresupported on spring hinges 19 so as to swing up or down, but normallyremain in the closed position shown. Their meeting edges may be notchedslightly at registering points to accommodate the chandelier. I

The area 9 on the ceiling is a completely reversible section, asparticularly shown in Fig. 8. This section is swiveled on a central axis20 and has rollers at one side or edge 5 guided in the grooves 21 of apair of arcuate frames 22 on the upper side of the ceiling 6. 23 is acord contained in one of said grooves and attached to the reversibleceiling section 9 so as to turn the same over, when desired.

In Fig. 13 a slight modification is shown in which a pulley 24 is fixedto the reversible ceiling section and operated by a cord or band 25. Theceiling section 9 has a trap door 26 in all respects similar to the trapdoor 2 of the floor.

The means for lifting and reversing the performers is particularly shownin Figs. 4 and 5. The posts 3 are made hollow, with two separatevertical chambers or passages 27 and 28. In the chamber 27 there isloosely contained a carriage 29 which is nor mally impelled upward by acounterweight 30, movable in the chamber 28, and connected to thecarriage 29 by a cord 31 passing over a pulley 32. 33 deno-tesalatch,adapted to be released by a lever 34, for normally restraining thecarriage 29 against upward movement. I/Vithin the carriage andprojecting outwardly through a vertical slot 35 of the post 3, there isjournaled a shaft 36 having a gear section 37 thereon. This shaft hasflattened portions 38 by which it is normally restrained in either oftwo diametrically opposite positions by the springs 39.

I performer may engage him or herself, and which is rigidly fixed to theprojecting end of the shaft 36. There is also provided a rack 41 in thepath of the gear or pinion 37 and adapted to impart a movement throughhalf a revolution thereto during the upward or downward movement of thecarriage 29. 42 denotes a latch for engaging and holding the carriage 29at the completion of its upward movement. This latch has a lever 43 bywhich it is released. The counterweight 30 is made in two separableparts or sections, the lower one 44 of which is normally sustained by aspring or detent 45. At the completion of the upward movement of thecarriage 29, this spring or detent 45 impinges against a cam or wedgesurface 46 and is laterally displaced so as to release the lower section44 of the counterweight. The carriage and performer are howeverprevented from falling on account of this lessened counterweight by thelatch 42.

The use and operation will be clear from the foregoing description.Normally the parts are in the relation shown in Fig. 1 and theperformers enter and execute any dance or figures which may be desired.Finally they position themselves against the posts 3 and adjustthemselves in their frames or 40 denotes a frame or harness in which theout and each performer depresses the latch 33 of her apparatus and islifted to the ceiling by the counterweight 30. In this position she isretained head do nu-ard on account of the reversal of her frame orharness by the rack 41 and pinion 37. The lower section 44 of thecountern eight is detached as above described at this time but thecarriage and performer is prevented from coming do'-.-.n, until shedesires, by the latch 42. In the meantime the flaps of the side rings,the

back drop and the floor cloth have been reversed so as to expose theiralternate and properly painted surfaces. The ceiling section 9 is alsoreversed, the chandelier 10 having first been drawn upward through thetrap door 26. A similar chandelier 26 in the meantime is thrust upwardthrough the trap door 2 and the floor cloth. These chandehere arepreferably constructed with an equatorially grooved body in which thelamps are contained, so that the chandeliers may be thrust hastilythrough their trap doors without danger of breaking the lamps. It isevident that w hen these various changes have been made, that thecomplete scene, including all the performers, will appear to have beenreversed in toto, the change being entirely effected in a very fewseconds. Any heavy or solid properties such as the stairway or balconyof Fig. 12 may be made in two separable sections and drawn away to thesides by an endless cord or band 50 running over \nindlasses 51 andhaving its separate strands connected to the respective parts of thestairway or property. The two parts are brought together again by areverse movement of the v; indlasses. An imitation property 52, similarin appearance to that removed, may be hinged to the ceiling at 53, anddropped down during the change of scene to strictly maintain theappearance of a perfect reversal throughout. The back drop 5 is locatedfar enough to the rear, in practice, to permit this movement. Finally ata second signal the performers depress the upper latches 42, and all theparts and scenes are returned to their original conditions, in this wayapparently effecting a second complete reversal of the scene.

What we claim, is

1. A means for producing a scenic illusion, comprising side wings havingflexibly connected flaps, a back drop, having a flexibly connected flapand a floor cloth also having a flexibly connected flap the said flapshaving reversed duplicate designs whereby when the flaps are turned overthe structure of which they form a part will appear to be inverted.

2. A means for producing a scenic illusion, comprising side wings havingflexibly connected flaps, a floor and ceiling, the said flaps and thefloor and ceiling having duplicate harnesses 40. At a given signal thelights g0 reversed designs and means for exposing one or the otherdesign whereby the parts appear to become inverted.

3. A means for producing a scenic illusion, comprising side Wings, afloor cloth having a flexibly connected flap, and a ceiling having areversible section of an area corresponding to the floor cloth theceiling and the floor cloth having duplicate reversed designs wherebyupon reversing the parts they appear to have exchanged places.

4. A means for producing a scenic illusion, comprising a stage havin acentral trap door and a floor cloth Wit a flexibly connected flap, and aceiling having a reversible section with a central trap door, and a pairof similar chandeliers adapted to be thrust through said trap doors.

5. A means for producing a scenic illusion, comprising a stage having afloor cloth, a ceiling having a pivoted reversible section, andcorrespondingly located trap doors in said stage and in said ceilingsection.

6. A means for producing a scenic illusion, comprising side n-ings and aback drop each having flexibly connected flaps with duplicate reverseddesigns, Windlasses connected by an endless cord or band, and a propertyor object in separable sections respectively connected to the strands ofsaid cord or band.

7. In an apparatus of the class described, a vertically movablecarriage, a shaft having a frame or harness, and journaled in saidcarriage, and means for automatically turning said shaft through half arevolution a hen said carriage ascends or descends.

8. In an apparatus of the class described, a vertically movablecarriage, a frame or harness supported thereby, a counterweightconnected to said carriage, and means for disconnecting a section ofsaid counterweight for preventing its return, except at the will of theperformer.

10. A means for producing a scenic illusion comprising side vringshaving flaps with duplicated reversed designs whereby upon lowering theflaps the wings v. ill appear to have been inverted.

11. A means for producing a scenic illusion comprising a floor cloth anda ceiling section having duplicate reversed designs, and means to varythe exposure of the design and thereby effect an apparent exchange oflocation of the floor cloth and the ceiling section.

12. A means for producing a scenic illusion comprising a oor cloth and aceiling section having duplicate reversed designs, a pair of similarchandeliers adapted to be exposed through the ceiling section and thefloor cloth, means for varying the designs exposed by the floor clothand the ceiling section, and means for exposing one or the othei1chandelier according to the design expose Signed at New York, in thecounty of New York and State of New York.

CHARLES F. DE SORIA. JOHN F. CORRIGAN.

Witnesses:

JAMES D. ANToNIE, WALDO M. CHAPIN

